Sound-regulator.



W. S. GBB. SOUND REGULATOR. APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 19, 190s.

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

By ATTRNEY WIT/VESSES W. S. COBB.

SOUND REGULATOR.

APPLIOATIQN FILED AUG. 19, 190s,i

Patented Dec. 8, 1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ATTORNEY WILLIAM S. COBB, 0F FLUSHING, NEW YORK.

sown-REGULATOR.

- Specification of Letters Patent.

latented Dec. 8, 1908.

Application sied August 1e, 190s. serai-No. 449,269.

To all whom' it may cof/teem:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. COBB, a citizenof the United States, residing at Flushin in thecounty of Queens and State of New ork, have invented new and useful Improvements in Sound-Regulators, of which the following is a specification..

This invention relates to sound regulators and is placed in the horn orsound-outlet of musical instruments, phonographs or talking machines forl the purpose of reducing and regulating the volume of sound produced, and to improve the quality of said tones produced in the instrument or machine and to eliminate as far as possible, the objectionable and noisy features produced in the same, as will be more fully described in the following specification set forth in the claims and illustrated/in the drawings, where:

Figure 1 is a sectional View of the horn of a talking machine with the improved regulator located therein. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the regulator partly in section. Fig. 3 is a front view with certain parts broken away. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 5 shows a modified form. Figs. 6 and 7 are detail views of the latter form.

This regulator may be used in the horn of any phonograph or talking machine or it may be embodied in or made a part of same or of the horn elbow. The horn may be dispensed with entirely and the device used alone instead. It may beconstructed of wood or metal but preferably of hard rubber.

The o'uter shell 10 has tapering sides corresponding with the fimnel shaped horn commonly used in talking machines to it within the same or to cause the device to act as a plug so it may be fitted in a musical instrument and in order to secure the same and effect a perfect closure so that the sound waves will pass through the regulator only it is provided with soft rubber rings 11. The outer end of this shell has screw threads l2 while the inner end is turned forward to form a cylindrical throat 13.

Within the space between the shell 10 and the throat 13 is an inner shell made' up of two substantial cylindrical' pieces 14 and 15 the former having a perforated end wall 16 preferably concave while the two pieces are united at the other end. The front end of the piece 15 is connected with the shell 10 and a ring 17 having a series of holes 18, is

interposed' at that point and unites them. The shell 10 also has at its front end the perforations 19 and on the front end of the device is screwed a regulating cap 20 whose inner face is adapted to t against the annular lip 21 of the piece 15 when the cap is closed down to its limit on the outer shell. When this regulator is placed in the horn of a talking machine or other instrument the rubber rings 11 efectually close the passage and the only escape for the sound waves is through the throat 13fand into the chamber 22 of the cylinder 14 from whence a limited volume escapes through the perforations 23 in the wall or head 16 and out the opening 24 in the cap 20. In case it is desired to obtain a greater volume the cap is removed from its seat on the lip 21 by unscrewing it so that the surplus sound waves which do not pass through the perforations 23 may move through the passages between the throat 13 and the piece 14 and between the piece 15 and the shell 10, through the holes 18 and out of the opening 24.

In the modified form shown in Fig. 5 the shell 25 is similar in construction to that above described butit carries the horn 26 at its forward end, the shell being interposed between thetalking machine and the horn and connected with the latter by a coupling ring 2 7 threaded for attachment to the two parts. At the outer end of the shell is a ring 28 with va series of perforations, 29 which are adapted to coincide with similar perforations 30in the front wall 31 of the shell. The ring 28 is movable about the front end of the shell, being held thereon by meansof the shoulder 32 of the ring 27, and is shifted by the knob 33 attached directly and radially to the ring or with the pin 34 projecting from a lug 35 on the ring and through the slot 36 in the ring. When it is desired to reduce the volume of sound waves passing through this latter form of regulator ythe ring is shifted on its seat so that the holes 29 are removed from their coincidence with the holes 30, more oriless as desired and by shifting the ring so that its holes are covered by the solid intervals of the wall 31 the sound waves are entirely shut olf, except through the perforations 23. Both of these methods of shutting olf or reducing the sound waves permit of a very delicate adjustment of the regulator and the latter form especially affords access to the adjusting parts-so that musical selections may be accentuated and emphasized with little trouble.

It is obvious that otherI means may be adopted to open or close the perforations in the front wall of the adjuster without departing from the essential features which are hereinafter claimed.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a sound regulator, the combination with the horn, of a musical instrument or talking machine, of a plug conforming in shape with the interior of the horn and comprising two shells with sound passages between them and a regulator rotating on the end of same.

2. In a sound regulator, the combination with a horn adapted to disseminate sound waves, of a plug with forward and reverse passages for the sound waves and a rotating regulator at one end of the plug.

3. In a sound regulator, the combination with a horn for disseminating sound waves, of a series of shells forming tortuous passages and having perforations at their forward end, and a rotating end to regulate the size of the perforations 4. In a sound regulator, the combination with a horn for distributing sounds, of a plugmade up of shells inclosing winding passages for the sound waves and open at the receiving end and having perforations at the distributing end, and a head adapted to be screwed on the latter end to limit the size of the perforations.

5. In a 'sound regulator, the combination with a sound distributing horn, of a set of shells inclosing tortuous passages connected at the front end, open at the rear end and having perforations at the pointof connection, and a head with an opening adapted to be adjusted on the shells so as to regulate the volume of the sound waves leaving the perforations.

6. In a sound regulator, the combination with a sound distributing horn, of a shell with a throat at its inner end, a second shell within' the rst and having perforations at its outer end, a perforated ring uniting the two rings at their outer ends, and means at the front 'ends of the shells to open or close the perfor-ations in the ring.

Intestimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM S. COBB. 

